HomeClassic Paintball ScansPursuit Marketing, Inc. Ad for c. 1986 Sheridan pumps Front Line

Pursuit Marketing, Inc. Ad for c. 1986 Sheridan pumps Front Line

While flipping through the April 1986 issue of Front Line magazine I came across this advertisement from Pursuit Marking, Inc. (PMI) for their 1986 Sheridan models. 

PMI advertisement scanned from the April 1986 issue of Front Line.
PMI advertisement for Sheridan paintguns and RPS paint scanned from the April 1986 issue of Front Line.

This might seem like a pretty plain ad, but a couple neat things can be put together in the paintball history timeline from the information presented. This add was likely submitted to Front Line around three months before the issue was released (January to February).

K2 as pictured in April 1986 Front Line magazine.
K2 as pictured in April 1986 Front Line magazine.

1. PMI was referring to their bolt action K series as the first “paint ball rifle.” By this I think they are pointing out that no other pumps from that time had a comparable length barrel. 

Master Blaster November 1987 Scan of Frontline magazine
Frontline magazine scan of the Master Blaster from November 1987.

Stan Russell and Earon Carter had not yet made the first Annihilators for Tim at McMurray and Sons at this time (they would be created in August 1986) but they had built the Master Blaster and by this point (April 1986) likely disregarded it.

Sheridan prototype 12 dual gram plug (left) and Mac 1 dual 12 gram plug (right).
Sheridan prototype 12 dual gram plug (left) and Mac 1 dual 12 gram plug (right).

2. The pictured Rifle in the ad is a K2 and not a K1, since the rifle does not have the base vent in the stock to empty the 12 gram pressure. In a K1, the lowertube is live when single or double 12 grams are pieced. The K2 uses the standard one 12 gram configuration with I believe a hole drilled towards the end of the lower tube as the vent (preventing a live chamber).

Crop on the PGP model current at the time of the ad.
Crop on the PGP model current at the time of the ad. Scanned from April 1986 Front Line.

3. The pump handle kit is new and referred to as the “state of the art rapid fire design.” The advertised pistol is a late model PG converted to a PGP.  Notice the diameter of the back of the bolt is wider than the barrel tube and you can just make out the knurling on it. Also you can see the edges of the trigger are square indicating it’s a PG trigger.

Left view of early PG to PGP conversion by Mac 1 and South Bay Arms.
Left view of early PG to PGP conversion by Mac 1 and South Bay Arms.

This tells us that by this time, the early 1986 Sheridan pumps being sold were the Pumped PG (PGPs) and the K2 rifle (January to February 1986).  It also helps clue us in on what Tim McMurray had already been building since Sheridan usually based their new items on his design consulting (and later decided not to pay him and just use his ideas).

Right side of PG to PGP conversion with Mac 1 Delrin Pump handle.
Right side of PG to PGP conversion with Mac 1 Delrin Pump handle.

So at this same time Mac 1 had already been contracting Stan Russell and Earon Carter to build him Delrin handles and drilled bolt kits for PGs.  The Master Blaster had already (likely) been built as well (between 1985-1986).

Back view of PG converted to PGP by Mac 1 and South Bay Arms.
Back view of PG converted to PGP by Mac 1 and South Bay Arms. Diagonal top hole in bolt is for extended knob before pump handle was developed.

Find more on the Elevator Gun / Master Blaster at:
https://paintballhistory.com/tag/master-blaster

Find more on PMI / Sheridan Paintball History at:
https://paintballhistory.com/tag/sheridan

And on Mac 1 at:
https://paintballhistory.com/tag/mac-1

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